Family and community demand answers after child dies in Person County DSS custody; commissioners arrange meeting

Dozens of residents used the meeting’s informal comment period on June 2 to demand accountability after a child died while in Person County Department of Social Services (DSS) custody and to press for the return of a sibling currently in custody.

Brianna Morgan, who identified herself as the child’s mother, said she received a phone call telling her her 1-year-old son, Keymar Morgan, had died in DSS custody and that she still lacks answers about how he died. “Imagine being at work just another day when your phone rings and on the other end, someone tells you that your baby…is gone,” Morgan said. She urged commissioners to reunite her two-year-old daughter, Zaria, with the family so they can grieve and care for one another.

Other speakers described the family’s experience as a failure of the system and called for a full review of DSS procedures. April Short said informing the mother by phone was “heartbreaking and unacceptable” and urged in-person notification by trained personnel and trauma-informed care. Sharaka Pettiford and other speakers framed the issue as part of broader patterns affecting Black families and called for immediate reunification of Zaria with her mother.

Advocates including Amanda Wallace of Operation Stop CPS and Rob Yates of the Libertarian Party pressed the board to act promptly. Wallace said Person County commissioners govern DSS operations and asked commissioners to meet the family and explain immediate steps the county will take. “What are you going to do tonight?” she asked the board.

County leadership said reviews are underway. The county manager told the board that the matter is the subject of an ongoing investigation and review by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services and internal and external resources, and said county staff will share information as appropriate while protecting confidentiality where required. The manager offered to meet with family members, DSS Director Carlton Taylor and Assistant County Manager Brian Hart; commissioners agreed to attempt to arrange a meeting as soon as the following morning and asked staff to identify which commissioner could attend.

Commissioner Antoinette Royster, who has social-work experience, told the public the board cannot override a judge’s custody decision and encouraged family members to ask questions about case plans; Royster said the board oversees DSS but noted removal and return decisions are judicial. The board’s comments emphasized sympathy for the family and a pledge to review processes within the limits of their authority.

No policy vote on DSS oversight occurred during the meeting; commissioners moved into a closed session later in the agenda for attorney-client-privileged consultation. The board scheduled a meeting break and set a follow-up budget work session for Friday, June 6.